Local plein air artist appreciates the scenery of Charlottesville
FOOD + BEVERAGE
PUT A TWIST ON TRADITIONS WITH TIPS FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE CHEFS
EXPERT WINE PAIRINGS FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING GATHERINGS
LIFE + CULTURE
GIVE THANKS BY GIVING BACK NOVEMBER 2024
A Time to be Thankful
While we believe in practicing gratitude on a daily basis, November is undoubtedly the perfect time to more fully reflect on what we’re grateful for. It is with that sentiment that we bring to you our “Thankful” issue, highlighting what we love about this place we all call home.
In this edition, we bring to you the story of a local artist who feels fortunate to call Charlottesville home and its outdoors his workspace. We also offer a roundup of ways to express gratitude to the community by giving back to support others. And since any November issue wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the holiday that embraces thankfulness, we’ve included a few dishes from local chefs to dress up the big meal as well as some suggestions for wines to pair with every part of your planned Thanksgiving festivities.
Of course, as we take the time to embrace being thankful this month we look to you, our readers, with a deep sense of gratitude for welcoming us into your homes. We also have the utmost appreciation for our amazing partners who have helped us to launch our magazine this year, allowing us to continue being a part of the community. We encourage you to explore all of the services and goods they have to offer!
Warmly,
JAMES LISOWSKI, PUBLISHER
@CITYLIFESTYLECHARLOTTESVILLE
November 2024
PUBLISHER
James Lisowski | james.lisowski@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Jennifer Waldera | jennifer.waldera@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jennifer Waldera
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ryan Becklund, Don Danilek, James Lisowski, Marissa Marston, Peter Roessler - SMP Media, Emily Schneiderman, Ashley Sieg, Randy Smith, Sara Stone, Shannon Thomas, Conmole, High-End Headshots, Rob Garland Photographers, Stable Craft Brewing
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Rachel Otto
LAYOUT DESIGNER Amanda Schilling
Local Chefs Dish Out Thanksgiving Twists
These
Show Thanks by Giving Back
Contributing
This
1: Sit, Stay Crozet Dog Fest to support Crozet Park and Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. 2: Glenmore Memorial Day Car Show. 3: Realtor Jamie Waller and friends at the Becky Robinson comedy show at The Paramount. 4: Morris & Wells Wealth Management and Charles Schwab host a cybersecurity training. 5: Kitten Yoga Sessions, a partnership between Relay Active and Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. 6: Attendees enjoying 231 Fest at Castle Hill Cider. 7: Woodbrook Farm Vineyard pouring at a Monticello Wine Week event in Charlottesville.
Ready for a one-room refresh or a whole home renovation in the new year? Interiors by Laurie Mandichak can help! Laurie earned her interior design degree in Philadelphia in 2009. After moving to Charlottesville, she worked at The Artful Lodger as their in-home designer and showroom manager. Laurie has an intricate knowledge of the custom furniture business and a passion for engaging with people to find the right pieces, materials, or layouts for their homes.
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Sadie’s Rules K9 Training is excited to announce the opening of its brand new facility, designed to provide even better service for you and your dog. The new space includes a fenced-in turf area designed for safe and secure potty breaks and supervised socials. Whether they're taking care of business or making new friends, the turf area provides a safe, clean, and welcoming environment. Join the Sadie's Rules community and experience the difference personalized training can make.
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A spread of Thanksgiving dishes.
THESE CHEFS HAVE JUST WHAT YOU NEED TO DRESS UP YOUR THANKSGIVING SPREAD.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER WALDERA PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
From cranberry sauce to turkey there are some traditional dishes that tend to grace many Thanksgiving dinner tables. However, if you’re looking for a twist on classics or even something entirely different to add to your festive meal, these local chefs have some inspiration for you.
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Benos Bustamante of Conmole suggests bringing chicken barbacoa to the table. Swap out your turkey, or simply add this flavorful dish to your spread. To make it like Bustamante does, slowly cook the chicken in a rich barbacoa mole sauce with avocado leaves. He uses a chicken that weighs in at about five pounds for the most juicy and moist meat, but you can adjust based on how many friends and family members are joining your Thanksgiving gathering.
“To make it even more hearty and comforting for the holiday season, we add fingerling potatoes to the dish,” said Bustamante. “It’s best enjoyed with warm corn tortillas and a side of rice, making it a perfect centerpiece for any Thanksgiving table.”
If oyster stuffing is a side dish that typically graces your holiday spread each year, you might want to switch it up with salsify gratin, a rich and warm side dish that Stable Craft Brewing’s chef Adam Alonzo suggests making a part of your meal. Alonzo recommends combining medallions of salsify, a delicate and somewhat sweet plant that has a flavor similar to oysters, with a rich cream sauce flavored with black peppercorns, garlic paste, and minced shallots. Top it off with bread crumbs made from toasted French bread for a side that channels oyster stuffing without any of the shucking.
Table set for Thanksgiving.
If you’re looking to incorporate more plant-based options, Ryan Becklund of Botanical has two suggestions for vegan twists on traditional Thanksgiving meals. The first, butternut squash soup, is the perfect starter or side for the holiday with its vibrant color and warm flavor. To eliminate any animal products, use vegetable bouillon and coconut milk. You can use your own preferred blend of spices, but for his, Becklund incorporates black pepper, cinnamon, Italian seasoning, and turmeric. For sweetness, Becklund uses maple syrup and for a bit of umami, he incorporates tamari. Add a swirl of cashew cream, a few thyme sprigs, or a sprinkle of pepitas for garnish.
Becklund’s second recommendation is to make a rich mushroom gravy. Simply combine diced portobello mushrooms and onions that have been sauteed in olive oil with vegetable stock with flour before pouring in vegetable stock. You can season it with salt and pepper as you normally would – Becklund also adds a touch of tamari to this recipe for an extra punch of flavor.
Contributing to these local non-profits that enhance Charlottesville gives back to the entire community.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER WALDERA
This non-profit organization is dedicated to making cycling accessible for everyone and supporting transportation that positively benefits the environment. Last year it distributed over 1400 bikes and prevented more than 1700 bicycles from filling up landfills.
Charlottesville Community Bikes offers programs that include providing bikes to children and adults, mobile bike repair services, and paid internship job training for teenagers. To support the organization, you can volunteer, donate bikes and gear, or make a financial donation. Learn more at CharlottesvilleCommunityBikes.org .
The Front Porch hosts myriad performances but it’s a hub for education and connecting with the community as well. Take lessons, rent instruments, or attend group classes or workshops. The organization's two locations both offer rental space as well.
The Front Porch also leads a children’s choir in partnership with the YMCA, works with early childhood classes to build developmentally appropriate musical and academic skills, and partners with the Hospice of the Piedmont in addition to other programming for youth and seniors. To learn more or to find out how to volunteer, buy tickets to an event, or make a financial donation, visit FrontPorchCville.org .
In addition to taking in sick, injured, or abandoned animals, the CASPCA offers low-cost vet services, spay and neuter services, and all of the support and resources that adoptive and foster families of pets may need. The organization also offers opportunities for field trip visits and hosts customized children’s birthday parties.
You can support CASPCA by attending events, fostering, adopting, making financial donations, and donating supplies like food and toys for pets. Or, shop at the organization’s rummage store which offers thrifty items that range from anything like toys, clothes, and furniture to artwork, books, and pet supplies. For more information on how to support the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, visit CASPCA.org .
THIS PLEIN AIR ARTIST APPRECIATES ALL THAT CHARLOTTESVILLE HAS TO OFFER.
“I’m always on the sidewalk. I sit out in front of the Rotunda, I meet everyone, and people sign the back of my paintings.”
Randy Smith began painting as a child, growing up in New Jersey and inspired by his family of artists and fueled with reams of paper to draw and paint on. Now, he is a well-known plein air artist who can be spotted around Charlottesville, regularly painting the local scenery.
“I’m always on the sidewalk. I sit out in front of the Rotunda, I meet everyone, and people sign the back of my paintings,” Smith said. “I interact with a lot of people.”
Smith enjoys and welcomes his interactions with the other residents of Charlottesville, especially students. And just as much, he appreciates the gorgeous scenery that he has the opportunity to embrace and paint.
“The trees over Charlottesville are pretty… the trees on the Downtown Mall are stunning,” Smith says.
Smith’s love of painting as a child was further fueled by a trip at a young age to the Guggenheim Museum where he first saw Van Gogh’s original work on display, an
artist who inspires his work today. His passion for art eventually led him to pursue and earn a degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque before he moved on to art-based ambitions in California, New York, and other spots before he eventually landed in Virginia in 1985.
Prior to his work in the heart of Charlottesville, Smith painted scenes from the center of the Brooklyn Bridge, painted around Wall Street and Central Park, and he had his first art show in Manhattan.
Now, Smith appreciates that he can paint anywhere but especially enjoys that he can paint all of the things that he loves, from batteaux and bridges to the university, local restaurants, and bands that he loves right in the heart of Virginia.
To purchase Randy Smith’s paintings you can find him at a Charlottesville farmers market or visit Consignment House Gallery on the Downtown Mall. Smith also currently paints regularly at Firefly in Charlottesville.
We have the ultimate guide to Thanksgiving wines with top pairing tips from local wine expert Will Curley from The Wine Guild.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER WALDERA
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PICKS FOR WINES TO KICK OFF THANKSGIVING DAY?
Bubbles! The Curley family go-to in recent years has been the Rosemont of Virginia Extra Brut. Made entirely from Chardonel, and so versatile that we drink it all day, make spritzes of it using the delish Rosemont of Virginia Vermouth, and even sneak a glass at the table to pair with the turkey.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES TO ACCOMPANY THE TURKEY DINNER?
I love pairing the meal with lighter and zippier reds and fuller, richer whites -- buttery, oaked chardonnay may not be the answer, but petit manseng and viognier absolutely are. I’m a big fan of wines that can roll with everything at the table, and if you can get it, Ankida Ridge’s Pinot Noir is an unbelievable pairing with Thanksgiving -- great acidity, foodfriendly red fruits, just enough structure, and an unbelievable wine, vintage after vintage.
For a white wine, we are blessed with a cornucopia of options thanks to our climate and our soils. I’ve been enjoying the King Family Vineyards Mountain Plains white, a blend of chardonnay, viognier, and petit manseng that will have your guests asking, “So really, where is this from?”
If you’re looking for something non-alcoholic to join in the festivities, Hark Vineyards ‘Eñe’ Vidal is my go-to and the only NA wine we sell in the shop. It’s been a joy to finally be able to find one that I stand behind!
WHAT ARE SOME OUT-OF-THEORDINARY WINES TO ACCOMPANY
THE BIG MEAL?
There are a few Virginia orange wines that I’ve really fallen in love with, and I think the one that’ll make our table this year is the Chisholm Vineyards Skin Contact Chardonnay. The usual delish citrus, apples, and white flower notes persist from their
regular chard bottling but are enhanced by a bit of structure and even slight tannins from the skin contact. Pairs with everything!
WHAT WINES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO FOLLOW UP THE MEAL WITH?
Port and Port-style wines. Chelsey Blevins at 53rd Winery has really honed in on fortified wines in the past few years and released her long-aged Chelsey Port-style wine which spends a remarkable 68 months in oak barrels and is the perfect remedy for a full stomach. Deep rich fruits, notes of brandied cherries, and a warming finish make it perfect for falling asleep in front of the game post-meal.
WHICH WINES ARE BEST FOR PAIRING WITH TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING DESSERTS?
Two options here. My friends Megan and Jocelyn just released ‘Appalachian Gold’, their fortified, Port-style cider, from their delicious Daring Wine & Cider Co. Rich, warming, and so apple-y, this isn’t Calvados, but something far more American, and perfect with apple pie.
More traditionally, Barboursville’s Paxxito is perhaps Virginia’s most well-known dessert wine, and for good reason -- vidal and moscato grapes are left to dry for 2-3 months, concentrating the juice and providing a kaleidoscope of floral, tropical & honied notes. [It’s] a jack-of-all-trades for any dessert that may be on your table.
“I LOVE PAIRING THE MEAL WITH LIGHTER AND ZIPPIER REDS AND FULLER, RICHER WHITES -- BUTTERY, OAKED CHARDONNAY MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER, BUT PETIT MANSENG AND VIOGNIER ABSOLUTELY ARE.”
ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
Fall is synonymous with gathering with friends and family and enjoying time together. Whether it is for Thanksgiving, a football watch party or a simple fall gathering, these easy appetizer dips are the perfect shareable snack to share.
The perfect cheesy fall dip that is both savory and sweet. The chopped pecans add a subtle crunch that makes this irresistible.
ingredients:
• 8 ounce brie wheel
• 1/3 cup fig spread or jam
• ¼ cup pecans
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
directions: Place brie in a baking dish. Spread the fig spread on top of brie and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Drizzle with honey. Add fresh herbs, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with pita chips or crackers.
This savory dip is quick and easy to assemble and is perfect to serve with fresh veggies or crackers of any kind.
ingredients:
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 whole garlic bulb, roasted
• 1 ¼ cup feta cheese
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
directions:
First, cut the head off of the top of the garlic bulb, and drizzle olive oil on top. Wrap in foil, and place it in an oven heated to 425 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes or until soft. Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl, and set aside. Next, add the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper and water in a blender and lightly blend. Add the roasted garlic and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with crackers or fresh vegetables. Enjoy!
This crowd-pleaser can be made in advance for easy entertaining.
hummus ingredients:
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• Juice from one lemon (or ¼ cup)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
toppings:
• Olives
• Cherry tomatoes
• Chickpeas
• Feta cheese
• Red onion
• Fresh Parsley
directions:
In a blender, add all of the ingredients except the olive oil and the toppings. Blend until smooth. Spread Hummus onto a plate or platter and top with chopped toppings. Serve with fresh bell peppers, zucchini, crackers and pita bread.
ingredients:
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
directions: Place cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl, and soften for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and blend with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in pumpkin and blend until combined. Mix in heavy whipping cream and mix on high for 2 minutes. Next, stir in pumpkin pie spice. Serve with sliced apples, pretzels, graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
Nothing screams fall quite like the flavor of pumpkin. This lightly sweet dip takes just a few minutes to make and is perfect for any fall get-together.
How To Decorate Tables With Noteworthy November Flair
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON
• An old dough bowl or wood trencher makes a great low centerpiece when filled with seasonal pumpkins, gourds, pinecones and flowering branches.
• Fill a stoneware sugar bowl with seeded eucalyptus, chrysanthemums and pears.
• Use one or a nest of baskets, floral foam and some blooms to craft a themed stunner.
• Incorporate family heirlooms by using an inherited (or thrifted) antique teapot, surrounded by other vintage finds.
• Stack two cake plates on top of each other with bite-size edibles; add other, shorter floral arrangements in pitchers or vases, if desired.
• Add soft candlelight with rustic textures of wood and lots of fall color via an assortment of fresh and faux gourds, silk sunflowers and dried seed pods.
Whether
traditional or modern, formal or fussfree, Thanksgiving centerpieces set a memorable ambiance for November gatherings.
Make an edible bread cornucopia, ‘horn of plenty,’ for the Thanksgiving table using refrigerated bread or pizza dough, a plastic bottle mold and aluminum foil. Wrap the bottle with foil, make a tail at one end and then layer adjoining strips of dough on the foil. Brush cornucopia with melted butter, remove the plastic bottle and bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes on the lower rack, or until it turns a golden, shiny brown. Fill with sweet or savory nibbles, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, gourds, nuts, rosemary breadstick twists or even cookies, for an impressive centerpiece that’ll keep guests happily munching while they wait for the main meal to begin.
deliciously edible
NOVEMBER 2ND
Jefferson School City Center Lawn, Charlottesville, VA | 3:00 PM
Organized by The Veraison Project and Oenoverse, this annual event is entering its third year of offering up expertly curated wine to the backdrop of DJ'd music. VIP ticket holders can also enjoy an exclusive tasting prior to the main event. Several food trucks will be onsite as well. Tickets can be purchased at TwoUpWineDown.com.
NOVEMBER 6TH
The Paramount Theater | 7:00 PM "Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers" delves into the years that the famed artist spent in the south of France and the work that he created while there. The 90-minute film aims to help viewers better understand Van Gogh and how the art that he created was impacted during that time. Tickets can be purchased at TheParamount.net.
NOVEMBER 8TH
Old Cabell Hall | 8:00 PM
This performance by the University of Virginia's choral ensemble, University Singers, will feature a wide range of music including some that the group will perform on their international tour in 2025. For tickets, visit ArtsBoxOffice.Virginia.edu
NOVEMBER 9TH - 10TH
30th Annual Artisan Studio Tour
Throughout Central Virginia | 10:00 AM
For three decades, artisans throughout the region have welcomed visitors into their studios during the second weekend of November. Self-guided and free, the tour gives visitors the opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes in the workspaces of makers of furniture, fabric design, pottery, quilting, jewelry, and more. To learn more, visit ArtisanStudioTour.com.
NOVEMBER 22ND - JANUARY 4TH
Winter Wander
Boar’s Head Resort
From November 22 through January 4, explore the magical lit trail around the lake at Boar’s Head Resort. In addition to the trail of lights, there will be special events like drone shows and winged dancers on specific dates. Buy tickets online and learn more details at BoarsHeadResort.com
NOVEMBER 24TH
201 West Main Street, Charlottesville, VA | 4:00 PM
Join MJ Padillo of C-ville Bites and River Hawkins at The Bebedero for an evening of education, stirring or shaking, and sipping. Learn about spirits like Cachaça, Pisco, Singani, and Aguardiente before crafting your own cocktails. Tickets can be purchased on EventBrite.com.
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